SADNESS, HOPE (AND A TORTILLA RECIPE)

 

José Andrés.  (Photo by Gerry Dawes©2024)

“Food is a universal human right. Feeding each other, cooking and eating together, is what makes us human. The dishes we cook and deliver are not just ingredients, or calories.  A plate of food is a plate of hope. A message that someone, somewhere, cares for you.” 

These words were spoken by José Andrés, chef and humanitarian, at the memorial service for the seven persons, volunteer workers for World Central Kitchen, who were killed by Israeli airstrikes after delivering food to refugees in Gaza. “The seven souls we mourn today were there so that hungry people could eat,” he said. José Andrés is founder of World Central Kitchen, an NGO dedicated to food relief in disaster areas and war zones. "We're going back to Gaza to feed people," he declared. 

You can read the full text of the memorial speech (delivered at the Washington National Cathedral on May 25) and keep up with José Andrés by subscribing to his newsletter, “Longer Tables,” on Substack The full text of the eulogy he delivered at the memorial for the World Central Kitchen workers is here. 

I join with many in sending my deepest condolences for the loss of the members of the World Central Kitchen team. 

Thank you, José, for the work you do. For introducing Americans to tapas and Spanish ham, for creating a vibrant business with restaurants coast to coast, and, especially, for your humanitarian work in striving to feed communities in need around the world. I admire you for your incredible creative energy, your good humor, your passion, and compassion. 

Looking for a gift item (Mother’s Day is May 12)? You can support the work of World Central Kitchen with the purchase of the cookbook, The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope by José Andrés (ClarksonPotter; 2023). All author proceeds from The World Central Kitchen Cookbook will be used to support World Central Kitchen’s emergency response efforts. (My son Daniel, in Atlanta, says his favorite recipe in the book so far is Passion Fruit Glazed Skirt Steak, which comes from a World Central Kitchen food producer in Puerto Rico.) 

Browsing an earlier cookbook by José Andrés, Tapas—A Taste of Spain in America  (ClarksonPotter; 2005), I found a recipe I’ve always intended to try—Spanish potato tortilla made with potato chips! Supposedly it was invented by the famous chef, Ferran Adriá of El Bulli, where José Andrés once worked. It’s a quick dish created for the restaurant’s kitchen staff. Three ingredients: eggs, potato chips, and olive oil. 

Why make tortilla with packaged chips? Because the whole operation takes about ten minutes! The results are surprisingly good. Best choice for chips would be those made with olive oil, but any type of potato chips works. 

Quick to make, the potato chip tortilla is perfect for brunch, lunch, tapas or dinner.

For a thick tortilla, slightly runny in the center, use a small skillet, preferably no-stick.

Potato Chip Tortilla in the Style of José Andrés

(Recipe adapted from Tapas—A Taste of Spain in America by José Andrés.) 

The recipe in José’s book calls for a 6-inch skillet. I had only an 18-centimeter—or 7 inch—one. Made with 7 eggs, the tortilla was approximately 1 ¼ inches thick. It’s customary to cook tortilla with the eggs a little runny in the center. If you prefer the eggs set completely, either use a slightly larger skillet so the egg-potato mixture spreads out or else cook it longer. 

As this was my first potato chip tortilla, I stuck closely to the recipe as given. Now that I know how straightforward it is I will definitely try some variations. Chopped spinach or chard, for instance. Ham bits maybe. Definitely sautéed onion. Or, why not some of those crisp fried onions from a package? They would soften in the eggs like the chips.

Three ingredients!

Serve tortilla for brunch, lunch, tapas, or supper.   

 Makes a 7-inch tortilla, 1 ¼ inches thick. Serves 4.

7 large eggs

4 ounces potato chips

1-2 teaspoons salt

2+ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

Chips soak up eggs and soften.

Beat 6 eggs with the salt in a mixing bowl. Beat the remaining egg in a separate bowl. Add the chips to the beaten eggs, stirring to break up the chips and mix them thoroughly. Add the remaining egg.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on medium heat in a small (6-8-inch) no-stick skillet. Add the egg-chip mixture to the pan. Stir and firm the edges of tortilla with a wooden spoon. Shake the pan to keep the tortilla from sticking. Cook on medium-low until bottom is set but not browned, about 1 minute more.  

Place a flat plate or pan lid on top of the skillet. Hold the plate firmly against the skillet with one hand. With the other hand, flip the skillet, turning the tortilla out onto the plate, cooked side up.

If necessary, add a little additional oil to the skillet. Gently slide the tortilla back into the skillet to cook the underside, 1-2 minutes, depending on how done you want the eggs.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Have ready a serving plate. Lift the edge of the tortilla with a spatula, tip the skillet towards the plate and slide the tortilla out onto the plate.  

Serve the tortilla hot or room temperature.

What to serve with tortilla? Pictured clockwise from upper left, piquillo peppers sautéed with garlic and a spoonful of Sherry vinegar; sliced tomatoes with green onions, oregano, and olive oil; bread; olives, and alioli, garlic mayonnaise (combine and blend 1/2 cup of bottled mayo, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons parsley, and salt to taste).

 

More recipes for Spanish tortilla:

Classic Potato Tortilla.

Tortilla with Fava Beans, Peas, and Potatoes.

Eggplant and Red Pepper Tortilla.

Potato Tortilla with Chorizo and Chard.

All-Onion Tortilla.

Spinach Tortilla (no potatoes).

CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVERS WITH A DIFFERENCE

 

Morteruelo--chopped chicken and livers make a good spread for toasts.

If you’re one of those people who like chopped chicken livers or liver pâté, I’ve got a different sort of recipe for you. Morteruelo is an old country dish from the La Mancha region of Spain. 

Traditionally morteruelo is made with game, such as rabbit, hare, and partridge, plus pork fat and pork liver. Stored in crocks, it was a ready-to-eat food that could be served cold like pâté or heated and spread on toast like rillettes. Add a couple of fried eggs and call it a meal.

I’ve lightened the original recipe, using chicken instead of hare, chicken livers instead of pork liver, olive oil instead of lard. What makes this pâté distinctive is the spicing—cinnamon, cloves, and caraway seeds. 

Serve morteruelo with toasts or bread sticks for dipping. It makes a great sandwich spread. Walnuts are a traditional garnish for the pâté. Pickles, onions, or thinly sliced apples are good accompaniments.

Walnuts are a traditional garnish for morteruelo.

Chicken and Liver Pâté

Morteruelo

Spices, chopped chicken, and mashed livers.

Makes approx. 4 ½ cups of pâté,

1 ¾ pounds chicken legs and thighs

1 onion

2 cloves

2 bay leaves

Sprig of thyme

Salt

1/3 cup olive oil

12 ounces chicken livers cut in pieces

1 clove garlic

1 ½ cups toasted bread crumbs

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon caraway seeds

½ teaspoon crumbled oregano

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Pinch of cloves

Chopped walnuts to garnish

Toasted baguette to serve

Place the chicken pieces in a soup pot and add 8 to 10 cups of water, the onion stuck with the cloves, bay leaves, thyme, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the chicken is very tender, 1 ½ hours. Skim out the chicken and the onion. Discard cloves, bay, and thyme. Reserve 3 cups of the broth. (Save the rest of the broth for another use.)

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and discard them. Coarsely chop the chicken meat and the cooked onion. Place them in a mixing bowl.

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high. Sauté the pieces of chicken livers with the garlic until livers lose their pink color. Don’t let them brown. Skim them out of the skillet and place in a food processor. Reserve the oil in the skillet.

Add the bread crumbs to the livers and garlic in the food processor with 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth. Process to make a smooth paste. Scrape it into the bowl with the chicken.

In a small bowl combine the cinnamon, caraway, oregano, pepper, cloves, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the spices over the liver in the bowl. Add 1 cup of reserved chicken broth and stir to combine the chicken, livers, and spices.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Scrape the chicken mixture into the skillet. Cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. As the pâté mixture begins to thicken, stir in more of the reserved broth as needed to make a mixture of spreading consistency. Spoon the pâté into earthenware bowls or crocks. Store it, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week.

Serve the pâté hot or room temperature with walnuts scattered on top and accompanied with toasts.

More recipes with liver:

Lamb Liver with Onion Sauce.

Shepherd's Lamb Stew with Liver Gravy (Caldereta).

Sherried Chicken Livers.

Variations on pâté:

Chicken Liver and Partridge Pâté.

Ibérico Pâté of Chicken Livers.

Fish Pâté.

Monkfish Liver Pâté.

Fish Terrine.

Vegetarian Pâté with Seitan.

Vegetable Terrine (Pastel).

BEATING THE BIRDS TO THE LOQUATS

 

Loquats are not quite ripe.

The fruits on the loquat tree have turned from green to yellow. They’re not quite ripe, though. They need to be as orange as an apricot to be really sweet. Besides the color of their skins, I’ll know they’re ripe because the birds will beat me to them! 

Loquats (Eriobotry japonica) are called nísperos in Spanish. The egg-shaped fruit ripens in the spring, much earlier than apricots. The trees grow in subtropical climes along the south and east coastlines of Spain. Loquats grown in Alicante province have a protected quality denomination, Nísperos de Callosa d’en Sarrià.

Loquats are easy to peel—just cut off the stem end and strip back the skin. In the center are dark, knobby seeds (from one to five, but averaging three). Once ripe, the fruit is sweet, somewhat like a spicy pear in taste. The flesh is firm but juicy.

The loquats I picked early are juicy but more sour than sweet. They are just right in a sprightly spring salad. The combination of fruit with smoked ham (or smoked turkey) plus cheese will work just as well once the fruit is fully ripe. Use more or less lemon juice/honey in the vinaigrette to balance the flavors.

Sliced loquats, diced ham, and cheese make a sprightly spring salad.

Spring Salad with Loquats and Spinach

Ensalada de Primavera con Nísperos y Espinacas

Peel loquats, remove seeds. 

2-3 servings.

2-3 loquats (5 ounces)

4 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ -1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or basil

1 cup (3 ½ ounces) diced smoked ham

½ cup (2 ounces) diced mozzarella or fresh goat cheese

¼ cup slivered red bell pepper

1 ½ cups baby spinach leaves

Chopped pistachios

Chopped green onion

Peel the loquats. Cut them in half and remove the black seeds. Slice them into a bowl. Sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

In a small bowl combine the mustard, honey, salt, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Whisk in the oil and the chopped herbs. 

Add the ham, cheese, and red pepper to the sliced loquats. Add half of the dressing and mix well. (The salad can be prepared up to this point and left to macerate 1 or 2 hours.)

When ready to serve the salad, place the spinach in another bowl and toss with remaining dressing. 

Divide the spinach between two or three salad plates. Spoon the loquat-ham-cheese onto the spinach. Scatter with pistachios and chopped onion.

More loquat lore: Loquat Mousse.